EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants offensive lineman Jon Halapio never believed his NFL dream was officially over.

That did not stop him from preparing as if it might be, however.

So three years ago, back home in his native St. Petersburg, Fla., after being released for the third time in two seasons, Halapio sent out resumes for a bunch of different jobs.

Only one prospective employer called back with an offer.

The sixth-round selection of the New England Patriots in 2014 was now the draft pick of 3445 Car Store, an automotive dealership owned by Grant Bond, also a graduate of the University of Florida.

"I really wasn't very good at selling cars, I'll just say that," Halapio told The Record and NorthJersey.com with a laugh Monday. "I did what I had to do at the time, and taking that job [as a sales representative and internet marketing manager] was the only option available to me, so you do what you have to do."

He paused before adding with a smile: "Even though it seemed like it wasn't going to happen, that was the longest year of my life, the first time I was away from football since I was a little kid, yet I never stopped believing I'd be here and earn this chance eventually."

Perhaps the longest of long shots to not only get another NFL chance, but make the most of it, Halapio spent the latest OTA (offseason team activity) practice at center with the first-team offense led by Eli Manning, paving the way on the ground for Saquon Barkley and in the middle of a remade offensive line that will be key if the Giants are to rebound from the 3-13 debacle of last season.

He's competing there with Brett Jones for the starting job and also brings value at guard, impressing team brass with the way he finished the 2017 campaign when given an opportunity. At 26, Halapio takes pride in being an improbable linchpin in the Giants' reclamation project up front.

"He has done a very good job. Pio is very smart, he’s got good instincts – he snaps the ball well, which is a really refreshing thing for a center," Giants coach Pat Shurmur deadpanned. "That was supposed to be humorous (laughs). But no, he does all of those things well and he’s very competitive and he knows how to play the game."

Shurmur's joke did reveal the most improved part of Halapio's game: he actually never snapped a football until former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Mike Alstott encouraged him to try it during a training session prior to the former becoming a 6-foot-2, 300-plus pound car salesman.

"It was weird, I played right guard for five years at Florida, and it wasn't until Alstott convinced me to give center a shot that I learned how to snap," Halapio said. "His thinking was that the more I could do, the better my chances of getting back to the league and doing what I want to do. Now I see myself as a center who can play guard."